Fort Minor - The Rising Tied 2005

01 - INTRO
Jay-Z:
"The record that you made...Thatís underground hip-hop with, with big sound... but with big, with big sound, Ďcause thatís what takes it over Ďcause the

sound is so big. Itís an... thatís an underground hip-hop record.
The richness of the music, in everything, I know it was gonna be something serious".

02 - REMEMBER THE NAME [FEATURING STYLES OF BEYOND]

Mike:
You ready? Letís go!
Yeah, for those of you that want to know what weíre all about
Itís like this yíall címon

This is 10% luck
20% skill
15% concentrated power of will
5% pleasure
50% pain
And 100% reason to remember the name

Mike:
Mike
He doesnít need his name up in lights
He just wants to be heard
Whether itís the beat or the mic
He feels so unlike everybody else
Alone / In spite of the fact that
Some people still think that they know him
But fuck Ďem / he knows the code
Itís not about the salary
Itís all about reality
And making some noise
Making a story / making sure his clique stays up
That means when he puts it down Takís picking it up
Letís go

Tak:
Who the hell is he anyway?
He never really talks much
Never concerned with status
But still leaving Ďem star struck
Humbled through opportunities given
Despite the fact that many misjudge him
Because he makes a living from writing raps
Put it together himself / now the picture connects
Never asking for someoneís help
Or to get some respect
Heís only focused on what he wrote
His will is beyond reach and now when it all untolds
Trough the skill of an artist

Ryu:
This is 20% skill
80% beer
Be 100% clear Ďcause Ryu is ill
Who would have thought that heíd be the one
To set The West in flames
And I heard him wreck it with the
Crystal Method "Name Of The Game"
Came back, dropped Megadef
Took Ďem to church
I like ďBleachĒ man
Ryu had the stupidest verse
This dude is the truth
Now everybodyís giviní him guest spots
His stock is through the roof
I heard heís fuckiní with S-Dot

This is 10% luck
20% skill
15% concentrated power of will
5% pleasure
50% pain
And 100% reason to remember the name

Ryu:
They call him Ryu heís sick
And heís spittiní fire
And Mike got him out the dryer / heís hot
Found him in Fort Minor with Tak
What a fuckiní nihilist
Porcupine / heís a prick / heís a cock
The type woman want to be with
And rappers hope he get shot
8 years in the making
Patiently waiting to blow
Now the record with Shinodaís taking over the globe
Heís got a partner in crime his shit is equally dope
You wont believe the kind of shit that comes out of this kidís throat

Tak:
Tak / Heís not your every day on the block
He knows how to work with what heís got
Making his way to the top
He often gets a comment on his name
People keep askiní him was it given at birth
Or does it stand for an acronym? / No
Heís liviní proof / got him rockiní the booth
Heíll get you buzziní quicker
Than a shot of vodka with juice
Him and his crew are known around as one of the best
Dedicated to what they do and give a 100%

Mike:
Forget Mike,
Nobody really knows how or why
He works so hard / it seems like heís never got time
Because he writes every note and he writes every line
And Iíve seen him at work when that light goes on in his mind
Itís like a design is written in his head every time
Before he even touches a key or speaks in a rhyme
And those motherfuckers he runs with
The kids that he signed
Ridiculous, without even trying
How do they do it?

This is 10% luck
20% skill
15% concentrated power of will
5% pleasure
50% pain
And 100% reason to remember the name

03 - RIGHT NOW [FEATURING BLACK THOUGHT OF THE ROOTS AND STYLES OF BEYOND]

Mike:
Someone right now / is leaving their apartment
Looking down at the street and wondering where their car went
Someone in a car is sitting at a signal
In front of a restaurant / staring through the window at
Someone right now with their finger in their teeth
Who could use a little floss / right across the street thereís
Somebody on the curb / who really needs a jacket
But spent half the rent at a bar getting plastered
Now heís gotta walk / 14 blocks just to
Work at a shop where heís about to get fired
Someone right now / is looking pretty tired
Staring at a laptop / trying to get inspired as
Somebody / living right across the street
Just wrote the best thing that sheís written all week
But her best friend is coughing up blood in the sink
He canít even think what happened / feeling so confused
And he knows it looks bad but nothing he can do
I wonder what itís like to be right there in his shoes
But
Yo, Iím just taking it in
Out the window of a hotel bedroom again
Tomorrow Iíll be gone / I donít know when Iíll be back
But in this world everything can change just like that
Like that

Ryu:
Somebody right now is dropping his vote inside a
Box trying to not get shot in his throat for the act of freedom
Right now / somebodyís stuck in Iraq
Hoping that he gets shipped back breathing
In a war but heís not really sure the reasons
So we show our support when the press mislead him
Though we mourn / remain proud / salute the troops
Get some / I know you boys got some work to do

Tak:
Meanwhile / right now someoneís 25-to-life-ing
Standing on a corner with their thumb up hitchhiking
Scratching off a lotto ticket hoping for a real winner
Sneaking through the border just to work and eat a real dinner
Right now someone wishes they were you and I
Instead of second-guessing fatal thoughts of quiet suicide
But right now Iím staring out the window at a fiend
With holes in his arm and / holes in his jeans
He pulled out a cigarette and sparked a light
And walked right around the corner just out of my sight
But
Yo Iím just taking it in
From a second storey hotel window again
The TVís on and my bags are packed
But in this world everything can change just like that
Like that
Yo Iím just taking it in
From a second storey hotel window again
The TVís on and my bags are packed
But in this world everything can change just like that
Like that

Black Thought:
Yeah / right now somebodyís sittiní in the darkness
Tryiní to figure how to put some heat in the apartment but
They got a little mattress / little carpet
And they appreciate it Ďcause some people on a park bench
You see Ďem rushing to get to the office
Wife ride by Ďem when she cominí home from the market
Right now somebody cominí out the pocket
Tryiní to dump that rock / they runniní round the block with
Same time the cops is raisiní the glock
With aim to fill your legs and your back with some hot shit
Right now somebodyís struggling to stop this
Man thatís kicking and punching and cussing at the doctors
Down the hall a child is takiní its first breath
The doctors ainít even passed him to the nurse yet / yo
I wonder if he understand what itís worth yet
Life / the time spent while we here on the earth yet
The answers to the questions we all seek
Can be found / it depend on how free yíall think
Right now / itís somebody who ainít eat all week
That would kill / for the shit you throw away in the street
I guess one manís trash is a next manís treasure
One manís pain is a next manís pleasure
One says infinity the next say forever
Right now / everybody got to / get it together man
Uh Iím just taking it in
In another strange hotel lobby again
With my luggage on my back / I donít know where Iím at
Iím in a world where it all changes just like that
Like that

Mike:
Yeah Iím just taking it in
Out the window of a hotel bedroom again
Tomorrow Iíll be gone / I donít know when Iíll be back
But in this world everything can change just like that
Like that

04 - PETRIFIED

Y'all are not, not, not Ready HO
Not not ready HO
We're gonna drop it steady so
Do it like that
Like that (like that)....

Yeah
How you doin', y'all?
My name is Mike.
I'm fooling with the new shit
I'm doing it all like
I like what i do
I do what i like
I could quit and get it back like i'm riding a bike
Like stop...
...bring it back, bring it back

We got that balance keeping us on track
That ya get what ya move and quit, wit no slow
You stare like you don't care
But you do it though

I know
You really must be so lonely
Puffed up, lookin' tough, but so phony
You and your boys, you don't know me
You really wanna hold me show me, homie.

Lets get it over with for good
I got a friction addiction i wish you would
Machine Shop rockin' when we step inside
And we got everybody so petrified

Like stop...
...Bring it back Bring it back
We got that balance keeping us on track

Like stop...
...Bring it back Bring it back
We got that balance keeping us on track

Like stop...
...Bring it back Bring it back
We got that balance keeping us on track

Like stop...
...Bring it back Bring it back
We got that balance keeping us on track

Stop...stop...stop...stop...stop...stop...stop...stop..[fades out]

'Chine Shop! shop...shop...shop [fades out]

05 - FEEL LIKE HOME [FEATURING STYLES OF BEYOND]

Yeah

Mike:
These days are dark and the nights are cold
People acting like theyíve lost their soul
And everywhere I go I see another person like me
Trying to make it all feel like home [x2]

Mike:
Standing on the bridge in the dark and Iím seeing my breath
Trying to make it home without freezing to death
And my grandfatherís face / stuck in my mind and how
Seeing him tonightís gonna be the last time
I shouldíve brought a jacket
Blowing in my hands like itís really gonna stop the chill
I buy a cup of coffee with a five dollar bill / thinking
Laying in that box people look so stiff
At times like these you start thinking
Your first breath in and the clock starts ticking
Iím not trying to bum anyone out
Not trying to be dramatic / just thinking it loud
Some defence from the cold that Iím feeing outside and for a minute
Escape with some rhythm and rhyme and
Get away from the grey
Just a bit of the time

Ryu:
Yeah / kinda funny how this world can treat you
Like a freak in a sideshow / a carnival creature
Climbing outta cans / Iím a diamond in the sand
But you canít tell the difference on a beach full of rhinestones
My lifeís trying to swallow a pinecone
Itís tough when you live fast / just to die slow
Talk to dial tones / my dreams are far fetched
It seems / so I sleep underneath this park bench
I know it donít make sense
And I donít expect for you to know what itís like
Smoke / drink / piss / sniffing everything in my sight
Push rocks in a pipe
Liftoff / I keep puffiní Ďtill my lips turn white
And my chest gets tight
But who the fuck really cares / when youíre
So far left that even death looks right
All I can do is hope for the best and pray
That it gets a little better than yesterday

Chorus

Tak:
Yo pardon me / I think Iím next to url
Too many problems going on / thatís why I left my girl
Packed my bags and I travelled with a pen and my notepad
Pissed that I was broke and all the things that I donít have
But still
I try to find a way to escape
From all the hate planted in my head which lead to mistakes
But now Iím breathing the mold / see I was patient and calm
Many sleep in the rain / but Iím awake in the storm
Writing my life in a short film / The Rise and Fall
How I managed to scorch hills / and climb the walls
Pound pavement / aimless in this cold existence
Even though thangs are changing / Iím going the distance
Overcoming the doubt that had controlled her so long
And put it all behind me / Ďcause life still goes on
Now Iím much stronger and know where I stand
While lost souls search over and over again

Mike:
These days are dark and the nights are cold
People acting like theyíve lost their soul
And everybodyís trying not to cry / trying to get by
And trying not to feel out of control
And if you look hard enough
Sometimes youíll find a place that might just remind you of home
But if it doesnít feel like home
You can do what I do
Just pretend you donít feel so along

Feel like homeÖ

06 - WHEREíD YOU GO [FEATURING HOLLY BROOK AND JONAH MATRANGA]
Holly:
Whereíd you go / I miss you so
Seems like itís been forever
That youíve been gone

Mike:
She said
Some days I feel like shit / some days I wanna
Quit / and just be normal for a bit
I donít understand why you have to always be gone
I get along but the trips always feel so long / and
I find myself trying to stay by the phone
ĎCause your voice always helps me to not feel so alone
But I feel like an idiot working my day around a
Call that that when I pick up I donít have much to say / so
I want you to know itís a little fucked up / that
Iím stuck here waiting
At times debating telling you that Iíve had it with you
And you career
Me and the rest of the family here
Singing whereíd you go

Holly:
Whereíd you go / I miss you so
Seems like itís been forever
That youíve been gone
Whereíd you go / I miss you so
Seems like itís been forever
That youíve been gone
Please come back homeÖ

Mike:
Come back home / you know that place where you used to live?
Used to barbeque up burgers and ribs
Used to have a little party every Halloween
With candy by the pile
But now you only stop by every once in a while
[Shit] I find myself just filling my time
With anything to keep the thought of you from my mind
Iím doing fine / and Iím planning to keep it that way
And you can call me if you find that you have something to say
And Iíll tell you:
I want you to know itís a little fucked up / that
Iím stuck here waiting
At times debating telling you that Iíve had it with you
And you career
Me and the rest of the family here
Singing whereíd you go

Holly:
Whereíd you go / I miss you so
Seems like itís been forever
That youíve been gone
Whereíd you go / I miss you so
Seems like itís been forever
That youíve been gone
Please come back homeÖ

Mike:
I want you to know itís a little fucked up / that
Iím stuck here waiting
No longer debating
Tired of sitting and hating and making these excuses
For why youíre not around / and feeling so useless
It seems one thing has been true all along
You really donít know what youíve got Ďtill itís gone
I guess Iíve had it with you and your career
When you come back I wonít be here
And you can sing it

Holly:
Whereíd you go / I miss you so
Seems like itís been forever
That youíve been gone
Whereíd you go / I miss you so
Seems like itís been forever
That youíve been gone
Please come back homeÖ

Brad Delson:
ďWhen you made me that initial batch of songs, I was likeÖ Thatís the shit right thereĒ.

Jay-Z, Mike:
ďHolla!Ē
ďHahahahahaĒ

07 - IN STEREO

Jay-Z:
ďThat beat is hardĒ

Mike:
This is how it goes
Welcome one and all to the show
Weíre wired up / fired up / fucking ready to go
In the back of the parking lot outside of the bar
Twenty deep / twenty feet from the boulevard
Black hoodies
Black caps
Black label in glasses
Previewing the new shit before all the masses
ĎCause the first thin I need when Iíve got a new beat
Is to see how it sounds / echoing off the street
I just take it for a spin
Pop the CD in
Slide it up to ten and get that rearview shaking
Then / play it again so thereís no mistaking
San Andreas the block
Get this bitch earthquaking like
Oh

Chorus:
Oh / ready for it here we go
We got the whole block rocking in stereo
Weíre taking control / letting everybody know
And if you feel it / let me hear everybody go

Mike:
Youíre not ready
I got plenty cuts for twenty months dropped steadily
Plenty tracks to empty on your wack pedigree
Iím backed heavily while youíre back peddling
Forget the chitchat on me homie / kick back
Iím on that shit that can get your homie bitch-slapped
So zip you lip back / listen and watch
We got the whole block rockiní off the way the beat knocks
You donít have to warn the people on the corner / they know
That if youíre standing on that corner then youíre getting that show
World premiering youíre hearing that Machine Shop flow
San Andreas the block
Get this bitch earthquaking like
Oh

Chorus

Turn the key / turn the volume up to loud
Roll right / roll every window down
Let the whole block know what this is about
Turn it up yíall

Mike:
Burn out that system like,
Oh!

Chorus

Mike:
Letís go ahead and test out the speakers
You ready?
Letís go, like this!

08 - BACK HOME [FEATURING COMMON AND STYLES OF BEYOND]

Common:
Uh
Yeah
Yaíll
We Ďbout to take you to theÖ to the crib
Letís do it Mike

Yeah
Back home [back home]
Everybodyís searching for somethiní
But all they can find is a whole lot of nothiní
Back home [back home]
Ainít nobody hoping and praying
ĎCause they feel like nothing can save Ďem
And they try to hold out but they canít fight the fact that
Life goes black when those lights go out
But I guess you gotta just watch out for your own
ĎCause ainít a damn thing free
Back home [back home]

Common:
Back home / they holler ďdiscipleĒ and ďblackstoneĒ
Some black they freebase yo we trapped on
Where our grandmothers marched / the guns clap on
Thereís liquor stores, beauty supplies, and rap songs
I travel the world just to come back to it
The crib got a lot of soul like black music
Iím attached to it
In many ways this city raised me / and gave me
The drama, honor, and bravery
The streets seem hollow / when I go to Chicago
Itís cheap wine and sorrow
Times hard to swallow
In search of Godís tomorrow / I borrow words from the
Bible / and use them for survival / gangs rival
Signs painted on the walls like hieroglyphics
I tell Ďem that this is all tribal
Used to do dirt / shortyís goiní through the same cycle
And trials like Michael / tryiní not to stay idle
Back home

Yeah
Back home [back home]
Everybodyís searching for somethiní
But all they can find is a whole lot of nothiní
Back home [back home]
Ainít nobody hoping and praying
ĎCause they feel like nothing can save Ďem
And they try to hold out but they canít fight the fact that
Life goes black when those lights go out
But I guess you gotta just watch out for your own
ĎCause ainít a damn thing free
Back home [back home]

Ryu:
Back home itís not Compton but close
The same problems exist and the pain throbbiní
And folks are so common
It donít / really bother us much we just swallow it / uh
Crack the bottle and smoke / hope tomorrow something
Magical happens thatíll put me back in the biz
But the chances of it actually happeningís kinda slim
Back home / we get the good life at glimpse
In the form of a rap start, drug dealers, and pimps
Iím back home

Tak:
Back home / I try my best to keep it together itís cold
Like the Windy City streets of December
I pace back and forth / looking for the courage to shine
But canít tap the source / need something to nourish my mind
I know we all lose quite a bit in life
Only to gain some
Life or the dark winding roads we came from
But I move with the night / so Iím used to the shade
And never lose sight / bringing truth back to the game

Mike:
Back home / weíve got a lot of shit on our minds
Weíre always behind on something cause thereís not enough time
And weíre non-stop / bottom line / doing what we gotta do
To get some food in the fridge and stay out of the hospital
Back home thereís people calling us hopeless
People trying to tell us all we need is some focus
But focus
Focus is overrated
Cause you see very blemish and mistake and canít change it
Back home is Alvarado / K-Town and J-Town
Or Little Tokyo for those that donít know
Where figures shiver / living right in the litter
Where kids write nigger / right inside the L.A River
On the concrete / a symbol of out everyday way
Itís that color and concentration over heavy grey
And by the time the ink dries on this page
Iíll be half a day away from the place where I stay

Yeah
Back home [back home]
Everybodyís searching for somethiní
But all they can find is a whole lot of nothiní
Back home [back home]
Ainít nobody hoping and praying
ĎCause they feel like nothing can save Ďem
And they try to hold out but they canít fight the fact that
Life goes black when those lights go out
But I guess you gotta just watch out for your own
ĎCause ainít a damn thing free
Back home [back home]

Common:
Yeah
S. O. B.
Yeah the song we wrote heyÖ itís good music
Hip Hop
Yeah

Mike:
Donít stop

Common:
Yeah
This song is for me, baby
Yeah

09 - CIGARETTES

Mike:
Yeah, go ahead and uh, cue the special effectsÖ
Yeah!

Mike:
Man, I love this rap game
Mainly cause itís cool to add a little
Spice to the life youíve been through
Everyone exaggerates a tiny little bit
Make this shit sound more gangster than it really is
You canít appear weak / man / we wanna hear street
We wanna hear you spit your thug over this here beat
Donít take it as sarcastic / I canít get enough
Iím telling you
You can call my bluff / if itís not rough
Then I donít really need it
Iím not even ashamed
I got too much reality thatís filling up my brain
So sell me on the product / Iím addicted to the game
Suck it up like a cigarette / light it up man

Chorus:
Itís just like a cigarette / itís something that I do
Once in a while but between me and you
Itís just like a cigarette / nobodyís really fooled
I donít want the truth I wanna feel fucking cool

Mike:
Lemme tell you something that I realized tonight
My hip hop radioís like Marlboro Light
Theyíre both selling stories
And they sound about the same
Cigarettes say theyíre safe
Rapper claim they really bang
We donít care if itís true when we lay the money down
We donít believe the words
We just love the way they sound
Theyíre acting weíre like idiots / theyíre lying to out face
Maybe we are idiots / we buy it anyway
Iím running out to get the rapperís next CD / just
Sucking up the guns, drugs and misogyny
The same way that I suck up all the stories when I breathe
That little bit of death supposedly cancer free
And everything they sayís got the truth twisted up but
But twisted upís what I want / man
I canít get enough
ĎCause even though we know itís all just a big bluff
We just light another up / what
We donít give a fuck

Itís just like a cigarette / itís something that I do
Once in a while but between me and you
Itís just like a cigarette / nobodyís really fooled
I donít want the truth I wanna feel fucking cool
Itís just like a cigarette / itís something that I do
Over and over but between me and you
Itís just like a cigarette / nobodyís really fooled
I donít want the truth I wanna feel fucking cool

Mike:
Man / listen to my words / listen for while
Lip service radio / donít touch the dial
If youíre in the car / turn up the track / man
Give your whole neighborhood some second hand rap / hey
Matter of fact / listen for a while
Lip service radio / donít touch the dial
If youíre in the car man turn up the track and
Give your whole neighborhood some second hand rap

Itís just like a cigarette / itís something that I do
Once in a while but between me and you
Itís just like a cigarette / nobodyís really fooled
I donít want the truth I wanna feel fucking cool
Itís just like a cigarette / itís something that I do
Over and over but between me and you
Itís just like a cigarette / nobodyís really fooled
I donít want the truth I wanna feel fucking cool

10 - BELIEVE ME [FEATURING BOBO AND STYLES OF BEYOND]

Chorus:
I guess
That this is where weíve come to
If you donít want to
Then you donít have to believe me
But I
Wonít be there when you go down
Just so you know now
Youíre on your own now
Believe me

Ryu:
Yo I donít want to be the one to blame / you like fun and games
Keep playing Ďem / Iím just saying
Think back then we was like one and the same
On the right track / but I was on the wrong train
Itís like that / now youíve got a face to pain
And the devilís got a fresh new place to play
In your brain like a maze you can never escape
The rain / every damn dayís the same shade of grey

Mike:
Hey / I used have a little bit of a plan / used to
Have a concept of where I stand
But that concept slipped right out of my hand and now
I donít really even know who I am / yo
What do I have to say
Maybe / I should do what I have to do to break free
What ever happens to you / weíll see
But itís not gonna happen with me

Chorus

Mike:
Back then / I thought you were just like me
Somebody who could see all the pain I see
But you proved to me unintentionally
That you would self destruct / eventually
Now Iím faking like the mistake I made doesnít hurt
But itís not gonna work cause itís really much worse than I thought
I wished you were something that you were not
And now this guilt is really all that I got

Tak:
Uh / You turn your back and walk away in shame
All you got is a memory of pain
Nothing makes sense so you stare at the ground
And hear my voice in your head when no one else is around
So what do I have to say
Maybe / I should do what I have to do to break free
What ever happens to you / weíll see
But itís not gonna happen with me

Chorus

Mike:
Yeah
Letís go!

Chorus

Iíll do what I have to do
Youíre on your own now
Believe me
What ever happens to you
Youíre on your own now
Believe me
What do I have to say
Youíre on your own now
Believe me
Itís not gonna happen with me
Youíre on your own now
Believe me

11 - GET ME GONE

Mike:
The dude, he said that, like, when we were making the first Linkin Park record
He was like
"Yeah you know, I donít know about the rapping like, I donít know... maybe you should just be a rock band"
You know what I mean, like, trying to change us
Like they signed us as an act like what we sound like and then heís like
"Oh I donít know maybe you should just play keyboard"

Mike:
Before the first song that you hear me on
There were people already trying to get me gone
Telling me to quit rapping / just play the keys / that
ďMy band had a singerĒ
ďThey didnít need meĒ
But my band had my back
So we did the tracks / put out the album
And the talk went flat
It was funny at first / but then the humor faded
When some magazines printed that our label made us
We were too good to be true
Some were saying ghostwriters were writing all that we do
So we had to disprove it / we spelled it out
To the detail / how we do it / when weíre making this music
After that I made it a rule:
I only do email responses to print interviews
Because there people love to put a twist to your words
To infer that you said something ducking fucking absurd
Oh / did I lose you at ďinferĒ?
Not used to hearing a verse that uses over first-grade vocabulary words?
People used to infer that we were manufactured
Now Iíve got the interviews on file
Which people said what / which number to dial
So now every enemy screaming insanity
All theyíve ever gonna beís another big fan of me
Bitch

Mike:
Hahahaha
You believe that?
Like thatís crazy, it sounds crazy right?
Like at this point..
At this point you think...
You hear it out, youíre like:
"That guy was out of his mind"
But honestly at that point I mean...
Besides the fact that he wanted me to just
Play keyboard and whatever
Didnít want me to rap
He was like:
"Maybe Joe Hahn should, uh, wear a lab coat and a cowboy hat"
On stage
Like when we play
Yo
I swear to god he was crazy
Cowboy hat?
Yeah
And later on he claimed that he wrote all... all our songs
So that was really nice
That guy is definitely out of his mindÖ

12 - HIGH ROAD [FEATURING JOHN LEGEND]

Mike:
Letís go yaíll!

Mike:
These people are running off at the mouth
Trying to convince me that Iím running on empty
Trying to convince themselves that the record with Jay was a fluke
That the record Iím making is a mistake
And I canít take this
Let me tell you where Iím at with this
You bastards are gonna have to take back that shit
Iím not plastic and fake / when I make tracks
I take facts and lay Ďem out for the masses
You assholes are gonna see soon that Iím not playing
And start asking me the name that Iím not saying
But Iím trying to be bigger than the bickering
Bigger than the petty name calling
Under the breath talking
Rumors and labels and categorization
Iím like a struggling doctor: no patience
But you can say what you want about me
Keep talking while Iím walking away

John:
You can say what you have you say
ĎCause my mindís made up anyway
Iím taking the high road / going above you
This is the last time that Iím gonna trust you
You can say what you have to say
ĎCause my mindís made up anyway
All that bullshit you talk might work a lot
But itís not gonna work today

Mike:
You people are running off at the mouth
Trying to make me take myself off safety
Trying to make my friends turn their backs
On the team weíve built
Building up some mistaken information
And I canít take this
Let me spell it out plain for you angry groups
Complaining Ďbout the things we do
Iím not changing direction
Iím stepping up my game
Maintaining my name / same way that I came up
Youíre gonna see that Iím not playing
And start asking me the names that Iím not saying
But trying not to mention the names of
People who wanna siphon attention / you like the hype but
Pretending youíre part of the picture you wonít pass
Youíre like a high school drop out: no class
And you can say what you want about me
Keep talking while Iím waling away

John:
You can say what you have you say
ĎCause my mindís made up anyway
Iím taking the high road / going above you
This is the last time that Iím gonna trust you
You can say what you have to say
ĎCause my mindís made up anyway
All that bullshit you talk might work a lot
But itís not gonna work today

John:
Why does it always have to be
Somebodyís always watching me
All I really need is some room to breathe
Is anybody out there listening
ĎCause I canít stand to keep this in
All I really want Iíll say again

Mike:
Uh uh,
Like that!

John:
You can say what you have you say
ĎCause my mindís made up anyway
Iím taking the high road / going above you
This is the last time that Iím gonna trust you
You can say what you have to say
ĎCause my mindís made up anyway
All that bullshit you talk might work a lot
But itís not gonna work today

13 - KENJI

Mikeís father:
ďMy father came from Japan in 1905. He was fifteen when he immigrated from Japan. He worked until he was able to buy - to actually build a storeĒ.

Mike:
Let me tell you the story in the form of a dream
I donít know why I have to tell it but I know what it means
Close your eyes and just picture the scene / as I paint it for you
It was World War II when this man named Kenji woke up
Ken was not a soldier / he was just a man with a family
Who owned a store in LA / that day
He crawled out of bed like he always did
Bacon and eggs with wife and kids / he lived on the
Second floor of a little store he ran
He moved to L.A from Japan
They called him ďimmigrantĒ / in Japanese
Heíd say he was called "isei" / that meant
First Generation In The United States
When everyone was afraid of the Germans / afraid of the ďJapsĒ
But most of all afraid of a homeland attack
And that morning when Ken went out on the doormat
His world went black Ďcause
Right there / front page news
Three weeks before 1942
Pearl Harborís been bombed and ďThe Japs Are Coming"
Pictures of soldiers dying and running
Ken knew what it would lead to
Just like he guessed / the President said
The ďevil JapaneseĒ in our home country will be locked away
They gave Ken a couple of days
To get his whole life packed in two bags
Just two bags
Couldnít even pack his clothes
Some folks didnít even have a suitcase
To pack anything in
So two trash bags was all they gave them
When the kids asked mom / where are we going
Nobody even knew what to say to them
Ken didnít want to lie
He said the US is looking for spies
So we have to live in a place called Manzanar
Where a lot of Japanese people are
Stop it / donít look at the gunmen
You donít wanna get the soldiers wondering
If you gonna run or not Ďcause if you run then you might get shot
Other than that / try not to think about it
Try not to worry Ďbout it being so crowded
ĎCause someday weíll get out / someday / someday

Mikeís aunt:
ĒYeah, soon as war broke out, the F.B.I came andÖ they just come to the house and, you have to come. All the Japanese have to go. They took Mr. Ni, the

people couldnít understand, why did they have to take him because heís just an innocent laborerĒÖ

Mike:
So now theyíre in a town with soldiers surrounding them
Every day every night / looked down at them
From watchtowers up on the wall
Ken couldnít really hate them at all
They were just doing their job and
He wasnít gonna make any problems
He had a little garden / vegetables and fruits that he gave to the troops
In a basket his wife made
But in the back of his mind he wanted his families life saved
Prisoners of war in their own damn country
What for?
And time passed in the prison town / he wondered
If heíd live it down when they were free
The only way out was joining the army / and supposedly
Some men went out for the army / signed on
And ended up flying to Japan with a bomb
That 15 kiloton blast put an end to the war pretty fast
Two cities were blown to bits
The end of the war came quick
And Ken got out
Big hopes of a normal life with his kids and his wife / but
When they got back to their home / and
What they saw made him feel so alone
These people had trashed every room
Smashed in the windows and bashed in the doors
Written on the walls and the floor:
"Japs not welcome anymore"
And Kenji dropped both of his bags at his sides and just stood outside
He looked at his wife without words to say
She looked back at him wiped the tears away
And said Someday weíll be okay / someday
Now the names have been changed but the storyís true
My family was locked up back in Ď42
My family was there
Where it was dark and damp
And they called it an internment camp

Mikeís father:
ĒWhen we first got back from camp, it was prettyÖ pretty badĒ

Mikeís aunt:
ďI remember my husband said ďOh, weíre going to stay Ďtill lastĒ. Then my husband died before they closed the campĒ.

Mike:
I had a friend named Victor
The two of us used hang every single day
And it seemed like overnight that his whole life / just changed
I know when his mom and his dad broke up / it didnít make sense
But I know that his dad was a drunk and he gambled away the rent
Pretty soon Vic was seeing red / pissed off / but instead
Heís drink every night Ďtill he passed out
Then heíd do it all again
The whole time / smiling on the outside to cover the pain
But on the inside / all he was trying to do was get away

Chorus:
Heís dying to get away
Let the pain of yesterday
Go slipping through the cracks
Hiding himself away
Watching all the memories fade away
From red to black

Tak:
Funny how thing change color
Then fade to another shade / when you had it made
It was all good / but now look / just another day
It was so fresh / it was so clean
Now itís all gone / one, two, three
Lights out / which way to turn
Canít get a grip / all alone in a big white house
Every day gets worse / and you just curse Ďtill your head bursts
And it hurts so bad / she left / now you suffer
Shouldíve thought of that one first
No family / no kids / can accept what you did / now you wanna
Run away but you canít Ďcause the past comes back again

Ryu:
Slippiní through the cracks / sip a little Jack
Go to bed half dead
What about a rent? Why does every cent gotta be a bet
Whenís it gonna end
Oh my god / we donít got a penny left
My momís gotta find a way to get a job
Outta debt / outta dodge / out of breath / out of this big problem
My popís wanna get away from the pain
In a better place in his brain
But the medication he takes makes him wasted
So sick he was gonna think the good Lord would come to take him
Iím shaking him
Wake up you son of a bitch!

Celph:
There hungry rappers battle for a buck and some change
There really be kids starving / give a fuck if it change
Shock rap / not that / you get signed you might blow up
Release ďParty In IraqĒ / you might blow up
I see you trying to think a few lines you might get at me with
Slap happy with babies whoíre born with crack in they cribs
Too much to cram under your oversized fitted
And the public school system failed you / either youíre ignorant orÖ

16 Ė SLIP OUT THE BACK [FEATURING MR. HAHN]

Mike:
You know me
I used to get caught up in everyday life
Trying to make it through my day so I could sleep at night
Tried to figure out my way through the maze of rights and wrongs
But like you used to say
Nothing feels like itís really worth it
Forget perfect / Iím trying not to be worthless
Since I last saw you Iíve been looking for a purpose / well
I met this kid who thought like I did
He had a weird way of looking at it
This is what he said

Chorus:
Slip out the back before they know you were there / and
At the worst youíll see nobody cares
ĎCause you donít wanna be around when it all goes down
Even heroes know when to be scared

Mike:
Now / I donít remember where I met him
Or remember his name
But he walked funny like he was just too big for his frame
Just over five foot / but he weighed a buck fifty
And what he said just seemed so right it stuck with me / listen
Itís like poker / you can play your best
But you got to know when to fold your cards and take a rest
And know when to hold your cards / hold your breath and
Hope that nobody else is stacking the deck / because
I donít need to tell you that life isnít fair
It doesnít care
It arbitrarily cuts off your air
And like you / I want someone to say itís okay
But in the truest part of our hearts everybodyís afraid / weíre just
Underappreciated and overwhelmed
Fighting so hard to hide our fear that were scaring ourselves
You understand what Iím saying / Ďcause you always did
But its different in the words of a cowardly kid

Chorus

Mike:
And Iím no hero
You remember how it was / you know
All I ever did was worry / feeling out of control
To the point where everything was going end over end
Iím spinning around in circles again
This is where you come in
All of this to explain to you why I had to
Separate myself away from yesterdayís life
Please remember
This isnít how I hoped it would be
But I had to protect you from me

Mike:
Thatís why I
Slipped out the back before you knew I was there
I know you felt unprepared
But every single time I was around Iíd just bring you down
And I could tell that it was time to be scared
Thatís why I
Slipped out the back before you knew I was there
And I know the way I left wasnít fair
I didnít wanna be around just to bring you down
Iím not a hero
But donít think I didnít care

Lupe Fiasco:
Ugh, M.S., Lupe
You know Iím a fan, man, Iím a real fan
Feel real honoured to be up in here,
[Holly: Wanna be somebody]
you know Iím saying?
[Holly: Wanna be someone]
They had to bring out the expensive mics for this one
[Holly: Wanna be somebody]
You know Iím saying the $7,000 headphones for this one here
[Holly: Wanna be someone]
Know Iím sayiní?
Come on, talk to me

Mike:
This is a story of them against us / win or lose
Forcing your feet into someone elseís shoes
Everybodyís got something to say / that we ought to
Live their way, / what weíre doingís not okay
In this world everybodyís got a chip on
Both sides of the neck / got no respect
Wait up a sec
You ever feel like the pressure is
Too much to take / Too much weight
Ladies and gentlemen
If anybody can hear me right now please shout back
Weíre not the only ones feeling so trapped
In the dream of somebody else / in fact
They got their heads full of some overblown scheme
Opportunity they missed back when they were sixteen
And all they want to do is push you to be that
And all you want to do is scream back

Holly / Tak / Mike:
Gonna be somebody
[For anybody telling me I canít]
Gonna be someone
[For anyone who told me I had no chance]
Gonna be somebody
[Iím telling you the time has come / like that]
Gonna be someone
[And maybe youíll get it when Iím finally done]

Mike:
We dont sleep to dream / we sleep to build stamina
Energy to do our thing / get your camera
ĎCause this ride is about to begin
Sit down and buckle it in / lemme say it again
In this world everybodyís got a chip on
Both sides of the neck / got no respect
Wait up a sec
When I was young they said the
Odds of making it were slim to none
Ladies and
Fuck it / Iím tired of them saying the dream you have
Doesnít exist / telling you youíre worthless saying you should quit
Basically telling you that youíll never be shit
Really theyíre pissed cause theyíll never achieve some
Opportunity they missed back when they were sixteen
And all they want to do is push you to be that
And all you want to do is scream back

Lupe Fiasco:
Uh
Theyíre gonna think crazy
Mumbling to yourself / in the basement all day
Uh-uh-uh-ing and to yourself
My pops didnít dig it / with shoveling it to myself
My boys used to get it / they dug it because they felt
My undertaking took me / I was making in my stealth
A wealth of rhymes of crazy / I would chuckle to myself
Then they went into the mental rolodex
See I knew Ďem by heart like a brain in my chest
Then I / took Ďem to school where subjects were getting felt
Books under my seat / notebook laying on my desk
My teacherís like, "Mr. Jaco?Ē
"Yes?Ē
ďWith all that knowledge, you ainít trying to college
Be a lawyer or a doctor, get a whole lot of dollars
Rather degrade woman and glorify violence?"
Well the work that works for me might not work for you
No homework / I got work to do

Gonna be somebody
[For anybody telling me I canít]
Gonna be someone
[For anyone who told me I had no chance]
Gonna be somebody
[Iím telling you the time has come / like that]
Gonna be someone
[And maybe youíll get it when Iím finally done]

Mike:
Yeah, this one goes to those fantastic human beings that keep us down and hold us back
And give us fuel for what we do
Thanks!

20 - THERE THEY GO [FEATURING SIXX JOHN]

Mike:
Ready?
Sixx:
Yeah
Mike:
Letís go

Sixx:
Yeah, ladies and gentleman
Pleased to meet you
I go by the name of Sixx John
Of course you know Mike ShinodaÖ
Mike:
Yeah!
Sixx:
Uh oh
Uh oh
Letís go
Letís go!

Mike:
One time / for my Machine Shop crew and then itís
Two times / S.O.B and L.P too and then itís
Three times / Itís Mike and Sixx on the track and then
Four times / when we come in through the back
Theyíre saying

Chorus:
Oh no / close the door
Shut the lights and start the show
Better let everybody know
Get on the mic and there they go
Oh no / close the door
Shut the lights and start the show
Better let everybody know
Get on the mic and there they go

Mike:
Armed and dangerous / bitch
Yíall canít really hang with us on this
Everybodyís so afraid of us / shit
Makes me wanna hang it up and quit
Forget about all the things you heard before
ĎBout time that weíre kicking down your door
Everybodyís gonna hit the fucking floor
Like ďplease Mike donít hurt me anymoreĒ / I donít gotta have a
Secret lie or an alibi / everybody knows why Iím here
Iíd just as soon crack a bottle
As crack you over the head with a bottle of beer
So just listen up there powder puff
Better believe that Iím not playing
You can love it you can hate
But donít mistake it everybodyís saying

Sixx Chorus

Mike:
What you really wanna do is this
Just make believe that I donít exist
But you wonít / cause everytime you go to spit
I talk over you just like this
Itís annoying / just for you
You could scream all day Ďtill your face is blue
Iím gettingí in your head and you know it too
And thatís just me you donít know my crew
My man Sixx John / understand though
The way that he flows you can call him Rambo:
Never miss a shot / never run out of ammo
Come out with heat like a goddamn commando
And add in S.O.B
Ryu / Tak / Vin Skully / Cheapshot
Now you see
Fuck with me? / nah / Sixx

Sixx John:
Uh oh / whatever you yell when you see that door close
Imma bail through the back [foí shoí]
Straight to the bar so I can act [a fool]
I figure you guys would get a little surprised
Your eyes wide when itís me aní Mike Shinod
Iím just plain old Sixx John from the Nam-District
This is not supposed
I still talk with awkward speech
Iím like a dog thatís off his leash
Step out with a Fort Minor patch on a black tee
Niggas scared to walk these streets
I ainít trippiní homie / talk is cheap
Acapellla or we can bark on a beat
And if that ainít enough action / I got
Seventeen pages in this little magazine I keep

Chorus

Mike:
We got this place rockiní / beat knocking non stopping
If yíall are with it let me hear it now yeah yo

Mike:
One time / for my Machine Shop crew and then itís
Two times / S.O.B and L.P too and then itís
Three times / Itís Mike and Sixx on the track and then
Four times / we do it like that

Sixx:
Like that

Sixx:
Clap
Clap bitches

19 - THE HARD WAY [FEATURING KENNA]

Kenna:
Yeah-ooh Ö

Mike:
Come with me / let me walk you through the world that I currently stay in
You can take a look around and tell me if Iím mistaken
You can meet and talk to / everybody that I live with
Maybe you can tell me why everybodyís so distant
Is it me or maybe / when I look around daily
I donít even know the people I can put my trust in lately
People that I used to hang with / now theyíre acting so different
Iím still the same person why doesnít anybody listen
Can somebody please / just explain to me
What happened to way that we always said weíd be
Right now I donít know why I pushed through the pain that I got through
And Iím losing hope

Kenna:
Deafening voices / that frequency inside my head
That says / Iím going at it the hard way
I focus / get everything inside out of my head
That claims / Iím going at it the hard way

Mike:
Come with me / let me walk you through the world that I currently live in
Not a thing is forgotten / not a thing is forgiven
Nobody can hold their own underneath the weight but
Nobody can take the blame for their own mistakes so
What do you do when somebody lets you down
And you wanna say something but you canít Ďcause theyíre not around
Inside you think they know the extent of the pain
But they wonít even admit that they were the one to blame
Can somebody please / just explain to me
What happened to way that we always said weíd be
Right now I donít know why I pushed through the pain that I got through
And Iím losing hope

Kenna:
Deafening voices / that frequency inside my head
That says / Iím going at it the hard way
I focus / get everything inside out of my head
That claims / Iím going at it the hard way

Kenna:
VoicesÖ
VoicesÖ
In my headÖ
In my head

Mike:
Can somebody / please just explain to me
What happened to way that we always said weíd be
ĎCause right now I donít know why I pushed through the pain that I got through
And Iím losing hope / Gimme one reason not to

Kenna:
Deafening voices / that frequency inside my head
That says / Iím going at it the hard way
I focus / get everything inside out of my head
That claims / Iím going at it the hard way